FUNNEL WEEK: Radon Bill Dies In Committee

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With adjournment of this legislative session set for May 3, lawmakers are focused on whittling down the number of bills they need to vote on.

A legislative committee has shot down a bill that would have made radon testing in schools mandatory.

33-year old Prairie City-Monroe Middle School principal Stephanie Langstraat takes it personally. "Just coming off of treatment and being as young as I am, struggling with lung cancer due to radon, I....it`s a sad deal. it`s a sad deal.” she says.

Representative Matt Windschitl of the Missouri Valley told the Associated Press, the testing and mitigation could increase property taxes.

With 70-percent of Iowa homes testing higher than normal for the colorless, odorless gas, lung cancer survivor Gail Orcutt calls mandatory testing for schools and new homes a no brainer.

"People need to call their lawmakers and say exactly what you just asked me...why did this fail? This is our children. This is cancer."

Langstraat and Orcutt say they'll keep fighting for the legislation next session and as lung cancer survivors they know a thing or two about fighting. Langstraat says she just hopes lawmakers pay more attention to children`s health than the bottom line.

Other bills that didn’t make it through funnel week include legislation that would require safer window screens to prevent falls, a requirement for Iowa teachers to take suicide prevention training, and a bill that would have kept gun permit information confidential.